Lucky Shot
by PorcelainDoll304
Summary: Toph and Zuko play against one another in a ball game, but who really wins?KatZuko, slight TophSok


**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. If I did, there would be more moments between Sokka and Toph, Katara and Zuko probably would've eloped by now, and the new episode would be before SEPTEMBER!**

Metal handcuffs on her wrists and ankles, the little blind girl was rendered helpless as the strange animal she couldn't see clip-clopped down the road. The fire nation prince said nothing to her or Iroh just sat at the neck of the animal Indian-style and sighed occasionally. If Toph could see, she'd see them approaching a great boat made entirely of metal. The prince took her roughly by the elbow and led her to a small jail cell, where he removed the hand and ankle cuffs. Being able to 'see' now, Toph realized how deeply in she was. When she overheard the prince say he was turning her in for the reward, Toph spoke up.

"Zuko!" she exclaimed. He turned to her with a gruff face on. "I…I'll play you in Hades for my release. If I win, you release me and you owe me one thing of my choosing. If you win, you may do whatever you please with me and I'll go without any struggle," Zuko pondered this for a moment.

"So you want me to play you in a little ball game, and I get to do whatever I please with you?" Zuko asked, a grin invisible to the girl forming on his face.

"If you win, yes," Toph admitted.

"All right, but if you _ever _tell _anyone _about this I'll personally _kill you_," Zuko said, and unlocked her cell door, leading her into a small room in the back of the boat. It had two empty rooms on either side, which could serve as goals, and a rug in the center.

"The rules are simple. You use your bending to try to keep the small ball from going into your goal. You can only use your bending to strike the ball, not to strike the opponent. If you harm your opponent, you automatically lose. Got it?" Toph asked. Zuko nodded. "First person to make the ball enter the other person's goal five times wins," Zuko said, and Toph nodded. A pile of boulders sat on the side, as did a fireplace and a stream of water. This was obviously a tournament room a long time ago.  
"Go," he said, and Toph threw the ball. Zuko conjured a flame to block the ball. It hit the wall on Toph's side and bounced back to Zuko. They played like this for some time before the ball entered Toph's goal. She gasped and Zuko grinned.

"Be prepared to be turned in, Earth girl," he said.

"It's only one goal," Toph scoffed, though she was growing anxious.

"One of many, my dear," Zuko said, and Toph almost threw a quite large boulder at him before remembering the rules. Instead, she retrieved the ball and threw it toward Zuko's goal. After about an hour, Zuko had two and Toph had one. Toph was breathing heavily and the ball had struck her on the arm, leaving a bad bruise. Zuko had taken his shirt off and was trying to catch his breath.

"Keep…going…" Toph said. Zuko gave her a look that clearly stated how shocked he was.

"You look pretty bad," Zuko said in actual sympathy.

"Don't pity me, just go!" Toph exclaimed in a voice that was so rushed and squeaky she had to be in pain. Zuko threw the ball and Toph hit it so hard that Zuko dodged it out of fear. It just barely missed the goal.

"I have to admit, you're a much tougher opponent than my friends…" Toph said, smacking the ball back to him.

"Not so bad yourself," Zuko said, and he meant it.

"Katara is the easiest. I think she goes easy on me because I'm young and blind. I always win against her, and I think she lets me. Aang is a little tougher. He doesn't go easy on me at all, and sometimes he tries to cheat by conjuring up tornadoes thinking I won't see. It's a 50/50 chance with him. I think you're by far the toughest opponent yet, but I'm still determined to beat you. Funny how that is, isn't it?" Toph teased, and during that long speech of hers, she made a goal, putting them both at four. She was fighting quite hard, and Zuko had to admit it.

"It's four to four. The next person to make a goal wins," Zuko, scoffed, reminding her.

"I know," Toph said, grabbing the ball and throwing it back. It took two hours for somebody to make a goal, and that person was….

"Toph!" Katara exclaimed, hugging her.

"Hands off," Toph said, though she was slightly smiling.

"How'd you escape?" Aang asked. Toph shrugged.

"The riding animal thingy bucked, and the prince fell and was unconscious. I grabbed the keys to my handcuffs from his hands, unlocked them, and then just ran until I found you guys," Toph lied. They nodded, believing her, though she was going to tell somebody what had _really _happened, although one more person would eventually find out because of Zuko's little 'favor' that he'd promised Toph.

"….it took two whole hours for somebody to make a goal, and that person was _me!_ I thought Zuko was going to die of shock when I made the goal. When I did, he told the captain to turn the boat around and take him back to the shore we left from. When we got there, he asked me what he'd have to do. He acted a little bit weird about it, but he agreed because that was the rule, he had to do it, and I really want to see it happen. _Now _do you understand why you have to move?" Toph asked, hands on her hips. Sokka grinned and moved, though he followed her up the tree.

Katara was out by the river practicing her bending. Aang was asleep inside the tent, and Sokka had wandered off to go hunting. Katara hadn't asked where Toph was going, but she'd left a while ago so Katara was the only one around, or so she thought. She heard a rustling in the bushes, and whipped around. She thought nothing of it until she thought she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see the Fire Nation prince behind her. She was about to scream, but he covered her mouth, though not with his hand. She closed her eyes and enjoyed it thoroughly. When he finally let her go, she jumped up.

"Hey! What was that all about?" Katara demanded.

"Toph made me do it, so don't think anything of it," Zuko said. Katara grinned and continued her bending. She definitely thought something of it.

"Holy crap!" Sokka exclaimed, and Toph grinned.

"I decided that hey, maybe I could do something nice for the girl, just this once," Toph said.

"Why?" Sokka asked. "I mean, I thought you hated Katara,"

"Yeah, but even I can see that they like one another," Toph said.

"Can't argue with the facts," Sokka agreed.

"Nope," Toph said, and they sat in silence for a moment before walking back to camp. Katara stopped Toph and whispered, "Thanks,"

"Anytime," Toph said.

Zuko walked back to his ship, and entered his bedroom. He found a paper on his pillow and opened it. He gasped. Money fell out, over twice the reward he was going to get for the capture and return of Toph. He saw that it was a note, written in somewhat sloppy handwriting.

_Zuko,_

_Sorry if I caused you some trouble lately. I had a lot of fun playing Hades with you. Maybe we can play again sometime. I hoped you enjoyed the lip-lock with Katara, though I know you did. This is all the money I could find around our camp and on the ground of Kali. Aang told me that it was over twice as much money that I was worth. It's to prove how sorry I am that you didn't get the reward, and for kissing Katara for me. You're a nice person, Zuko, even if you are on the wrong side of the war. _

_Your New Friend,_

_Toph_

Zuko smiled very slightly. He tucked the paper into a secret spot in his room, and pocketed the money. He'd never had a friend before.


End file.
